


Andrea

by aprylynn



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Case Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-08 21:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3224540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprylynn/pseuds/aprylynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deeks hasn't seen her in almost ten years, but she needs him now more than ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In my story "Never Have I Ever," I mentioned that Deeks had been engaged to a woman named Andrea when he was in law school. This story features a case where she crosses paths with him again. It's not necessary to read it in order for this story to make sense, but it's there if you'd like to. This takes place towards the end of season 3. After Blye K (3x16/3x17), before Neighborhood Watch (3x22). Also, please bear with me through this first chapter. It's setting up Andrea's involvement in the case, so it mostly features her.

"That guy was so ridiculous." Kensi turned the key to the SRX as Deeks climbed into the passenger seat. "I can't believe he thought he'd get away with that."

Deeks laughed. "Yeah, and he would have if it wasn't for us meddling kids."

"How astute of you, Shaggy."

"And I suppose you think you're Velma, using a word like astute."

"Of course I'm Velma. I'm the smartest one."

"I think Nell would have something to say to that."

"Whatever." Kensi shook her head and smiled. "I think we can all agree that you're Shaggy."

"And Callen would be Fred. He would look amazing wearing an ascot."

"And who would Sam be in this weird alternate universe of yours?"

"Probably Daphne."

Kensi almost choked as she tried to stiffle her laughter. "I'm telling him you said that."

"Yeah, well I'm telling him you laughed."

"Okay, forget it. This conversation never leaves this car."

Deeks smiled. "You mean the Mystery Machine?"

"You are such a loser." She couldn't help but smile. "Change of subject. Food. We need to get some food. After the day we've had, that's all I care about right now."

"Food is all you care about all the time."

"Seriously, Deeks. Such a loser."

His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. "That's weird."

"What?"

"646 area code." His brow furrowed as he stared at his still-ringing phone.

"New York City."

"Very good. Maybe we should call you Velma."

She rolled her eyes. "Just answer it."

He touched the screen and held it up to his ear. "Go for Shaggy."

"M... Marty?"

Deeks felt his stomach drop as he heard the voice. "Yes. Who is this?" There was no point in asking because he knew exactly who it was.

"Marty. I... It's Andrea... Marty, I need your help."

* * *

_Five days earlier._

Andrea Vanderlin climbed the stairs to her fifth floor apartment, annoyed that the elevator was not fixed today as the super had promised. Carrying her messenger bag along with groceries certainly didn't make it any less annoying.

Shuffling everything in her arms, she rummaged for her keys and relished a sense of accomplishment at not dropping anything. Once inside, she deposited her messenger bag by the door and the groceries on the kitchen counter. Now, it was time to celebrate making it up those stairs at the end of a long day. And by celebrating, she meant putting on some comfortable clothes, curling up with her favorite book and a glass of wine, and forgetting her troubles for a little while.

Work was stressful, but that was nothing new. Being a tax attorney for a Manhattan law firm that represented big clients never gave her much down time. Especially this time of year.

She was very good at her job. But in the quiet moments, she wondered if this was really what she wanted for her life. When she had been in law school, was this how she would have pictured her future self? Working eighty hours a week, wading through tedious laws and rules and guidelines, coming home to an empty apartment.

An apartment that had not always been empty.

Julian had moved out two months ago. She stopped wearing her wedding ring about a month later. She still loved him and he still loved her. Of that, there was no doubt. The thought of actually going through a divorce made her sick to her stomach. But they had issues. Mainly, being married to their jobs more than they were to each other.

They had tried counseling and reading relationship books and making time for each other, but they both decided that maybe some time apart would be best. But in two months time, nothing was clearer, except for the fact that she couldn't imagine life without him, yet still couldn't quite figure out how to move forward with him.

It was times like this that she missed him the most. When it was too difficult to turn off her racing mind after work. When she wanted a conversation that didn't involve numbers or deadlines. She missed making dinner with him. More often than not she would find herself wondering if it'd be wrong to just have chips and salsa for dinner rather than just cooking for one.

Wearing yoga pants and an old t-shirt, she sank into her favorite chair with  _East of Eden_  and a glass of Malbec. She had first read it as an undergrad and completely fell in love with it. Now it was her go-to book when she needed to decompress. This particular copy had been a gift when her original one had accidentally been scooped up with a load of laundry. It didn't survive the washing machine and the guilty party felt bad and replaced it. It had been purchased at a used book store and was already in rough shape when it was given to her. Yet, it was still one of her most prized possessions. The message written inside the front cover still made her smile even after all these years.

_Anders -_   
_I still don't understand why you love this book so much. It's super depressing and there are no car chases in it. But you love it and I love you._   
_\- Marty_

As she opened the book, she noticed a piece of paper that had not been there before. Unfolding it, she recognized Julian's handwriting immediately.

"Pacific City Bank," she read out loud.  _How did this get here?_

Deciding it wasn't worth thinking about right now, she stuck it back where she found it and pushed it from her mind.

* * *

"This is Julian Edwards. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

This was the third day in a row getting his voicemail. The note in her book made her curious enough to call him. Curiosity was turning into concern when he didn't answer any of her messages or texts.

"Hey there. It's me again. I just wanted to run something by you, but now I'm getting kind of worried. Please let me know you're still alive." She chuckled a little before hanging up, wanting it to seem like she was joking. But she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

_What could he be up to? It's probably nothing. He's probably just busy at work._

Julian was an information security analyst. As with her, he was good at what he did and put in long hours at his office. Despite his workaholic tendencies, it was unusual to not hear from him for this long. Unable to shake this uneasiness, she dialed his office number and entered his extension.

"This is Julian Edwards. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Really, Jules. You have to have the same voicemail message everywhere? Anyway, please call me." She hung up and redialed, this time entering zero for the receptionist.

"RNB Securities. This is Seth."

"Hi, Seth. I was looking for Julian Edwards. Is he available?"

"No, Mr. Edwards is not in at this time. Would you like to speak to one of his associates instead?"

"Um.. sure. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Let me put you through."

She waited on hold for a full minute before hearing a familiar voice. "This is Michael."

Julian's boss. Surprised, she didn't respond immediately. "Um..."

"Hello?"

"Sorry. Hi, Michael. This is Andrea, Julian's wife."

"Andrea. Nice to hear from you. Haven't seen you around since the Christmas party. How are things with you?"

"Fine, things are fine. Um, I actually called because I was looking for Julian. I haven't heard from him in a few days and I just wanted to see if he was alright."

"No, he's not here. Actually, we sent him away for a few days. We needed him to set up a system for a client in Chicago."

"Really? Well, that's kind of good news. I've been trying to reach him and he hasn't responded to any of my messages. I was really starting to worry."

"No need to worry."

She chose to ignore his slightly condescending tone. "It's just so strange, though. That he wouldn't have told me before leaving."

"I'm sure that 'informing the ex-wife of travel plans' just wasn't on his agenda." He chuckled, but she failed to see the humor in his joke.

"I'm still his wife, Michael."

"Yes. Yes, of course you are, but still... it's really not that unusual that he wouldn't have told you, given how things are between you two."

Heat rose in her face. She was so done with this conversation. She was not going to listen to this man comment on her relationship anymore. She thanked him for his time and hung up.

She didn't like that one bit and it had nothing to do with the fact that Michael was an insensitive jerk. As much as he insisted there wasn't anything to worry about, she knew her husband. She knew him better than his boss did. She simply refused to accept that he would have left town, even for a couple days, without telling her. Throughout their separation, they still communicated almost everyday. Michael's insisting that there was nothing to worry about only increased her apprehension.

She was certain that she was being dismissed. Whether Michael knew more than he was letting on was another question.

She pulled out the piece of paper and looked at it again. How did it get in the book? It wasn't there the last time she had sat down to read. She was positive of that. What changed between then and now?

She racked her brain and then remembered. About a week ago, he had stopped by with donuts from her favorite bakery. He claimed they were left over from the office, but she didn't believe that for a second. Still, she appreciated the gesture and didn't question his motives. During his visit, there would have been plenty of time for him to slip the paper in her book.

Now the question was why. Why would he place this scrap of paper in her book? Could he have dropped it and maybe knocked the book over at the same time, placing it in there by mistake? That didn't seem likely.

_He knows how much I love this book. This was something I was going to find soon. He had to have known that and put it there on purpose. I'd bet money on it._

But the question was still why.

Pacific City Bank. She had an open account with this bank when she was living in Los Angeles, but she hadn't used it since she moved to New York. She didn't know Julian when she opened it and she never even added his name to the account. Most of the time, she forgot she still had it.

She decided that it wouldn't hurt to call them and check up on it. Digging through file folders in her desk, she was relieved to see that she had kept at least one statement, saving her from having to remember the account number.

"Good afternoon. Pacific City Bank. How many I help you?" asked a sunny voice.

"Hi, my name is Andrea Vanderlin and I had a question about my account."

"Okay, Miss Vanderlin. I can help you with that. What's your account number?"

She read out the twelve digits at the top of her statement. "It's been several years since I lived in LA and I just wanted to see if it's still active."

"Yes, it is. In fact, it says here that you recently added your husband's name to the account and added items to your safe deposit box."

"What? Um... are you sure you have the correct account?"

"I believe so. The names Andrea Vanderlin and Julian Edwards? Is that correct?"

"Yes it is. That's strange. Um... when where the items added?"

"About a week ago."

"Does it say what they are?"

"No, ma'am. We don't keep those kind of records."

She was stunned. The more she looked for answers, the more questions were popping up. She was also getting more and more concerned for her missing husband.

"Is there a problem, Miss Vanderlin?"

"No, no, not at all. It's just... life here is so crazy, I can't remember things that happened yesterday, let alone a week ago." She laughed, trying (and probably failing) to sound casual. "No, I guess it just slipped my mind. Thank you for your help."

 _So what do I know now?_  She made a mental list, attempting to calm her nerves. The note, his supposed business trip, his boss' strange behavior, and now this. Julian had left the note at her apartment and added his name to an account of hers in a bank across the country. He gained access to a safe deposit box there and apparently put something in it. He intentionally left a clue pointing to this fact in a place she would find. But why?

She dismissed the idea of going to the police. She had no real proof to base her worries on.

It had been almost a decade, but maybe it was time for a trip to LA.

* * *

She grew more and more anxious as the 747 pulled into its terminal at LAX. She prayed that she would find answers at the bank.

She had to beg and grovel and cash in every favor she had to get the time off work. Still, her boss gave a not-so veiled threat of maybe not having a job when she returned. Taking time off in the first quarter was just not allowed. But she didn't care. Even if she was fired, she just didn't care. So many times during her relationship with Julian, she choose her job over him. This time, it wasn't going to happen. Not when she was convinced that he needed her now more than ever.

She was in a daze as she collected her luggage and got her rental car. She punched the bank address in the GPS and headed off. Surprisingly, she remembered her way around the city better than she thought she would.

Less than a hour later, she was at her destination, thankful for made it there before closing. She grabbed her messenger bag with all the appropriate documents and the key. When she found the key in her desk drawer at home, she was positive that there should have been two copies. She was convinced that Julian took one of them, probably during the same visit when he hid the note. Taking a few deep breaths before walking through the door, she didn't want anyone to pick up on her nervousness or uncertainty. She had even put her wedding ring back on before leaving New York.  _That's right. Nothing strange going on here. Just a woman traveling thousands of miles for an impromptu appearance at a bank she hasn't been to in years to find out what her husband hid there. People do this all the time._

A receptionist with a cheerful smile greeted her. "Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

"Yes, I need to see my safe deposit box."

"Certainly, I can help you with that."

Less than ten minutes later she was in the vault with the same cheerful receptionist.

"Can I help you with anything else, Miss Vanderlin?"

"No, that was it."

"I'll give you some privacy. Just call for me when you're all done."

Andrea waited to open the box until she was out of sight. She wasn't sure what to expect, which made her even more nervous.

_Okay, Julian. You brought me this far. Please be alright, wherever you are._

She lifted the lid and saw a single USB thumb drive. She let out the breath she had been holding and stared at it. She was hoping for something... just something more. Obviously this drive was important, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. But it lead to more questions instead of answers. She picked it up and placed it in her bag.

* * *

She was back in her rental car on her way to the hotel, anxious to delve into the drive. She looked into her rear-view mirror and noticed a black Lincoln two cars back. She was certain that it had been following her since leaving the bank parking lot. She purposefully made a couple wrong turns to see if they would follow. Each time she turned, they were not far behind her.

Suddenly, a loud sharp noise pierced her ears and she noticed her drivers' side mirror was gone. Then the back window shattered. Running on pure adrenaline and instinct, she floored the gas peddle. She made turn after turn hoping to lose those who had opened fire on her.

No longer seeing the Lincoln behind her, she pulled into a crowded Macy's parking lot and tried to catch her breath, tried to not be sick. She suppressed the urge to just start sobbing, realizing that if she was in danger right now, then so must Julian.

_Come on, think. They can't be that far behind you. They're going to find you eventually. Think._

She needed help and there was only one person who was coming to her mind. Trembling, she reached for her phone and searched through her contact list. Praying that she still had his number, praying that he would answer. Time seemed to stop as she waited. Each ring brought on a new wave of panic.

Finally, there was a voice she hadn't heard in many years. "Go for Shaggy."

"M... Marty?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Marty. I... It's Andrea." She took a deep breath. "Marty, I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

"Andrea? What... Where are you?" Deeks' mind was a whirlwind, completely shocked at hearing from his ex-fiancée. She was the last person he expected to be on the other end of the phone.

"I'm in LA." The panic in her voice was not lost on him. "I don't have time to explain right now, but there are people after me. They already fired on me while I was driving."

"Okay. It's okay. I'm coming to get you." He glanced over at Kensi.

"Where?" She was already back in agent mode. Their day was supposed to be over, but she didn't hesitate for one second, not needing to know anything more than the fact that Deeks needed to get to this person and fast.

"Where are you, Andrea?"

"I'm in the Macy's parking lot on Beverly Boulevard."

Deeks repeated the location to Kensi. "I can get us there in 20 minutes."

"Andrea, we'll be there as soon as we can. I'm in a silver Cadillac SRX and my partner is with me. We'll be safe with us."

"Marty, I... I think I lost them, but I don't know for how long. Please hurry."

"Don't worry. My partner is driving and she's a speed demon behind the wheel. I'll stay on the phone with you until we get there."

"Okay. Thank you." His voice was having a calming effect on her, but she was still on full alert.

"Tell me. Who's after you?"

"I don't know. They're driving a black Lincoln sedan. I noticed they were following me and when I tried to lose them, they started shooting. They already shot out my back window."

As Deeks kept her on the phone, Kensi called up Eric.

"Hey, Kensi."

"Eric, are you still in Ops?"

"Of course, I practically live here. No rest for..."

"Eric, I need you to get a trace on a cell phone. The one Deeks is talking to right now. And also, see if you can find any traffic cams near the Macy's on Beverly Boulevard."

"Sure, Kensi, but what's this for? I thought you guys were done with your case?"

"I don't really know, but it's important."

* * *

"Okay, we're coming up on the lot. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

He instructed her to jump out of her car as soon as they arrived. She had her messenger bag gripped tightly in her hands. There would be no time to grab the rest of her luggage.

The silver SUV came into her view. "I see you."

"There you are. Okay. I'll step out and then open the door for you."

She put her phone back in her bag. The passenger door opened and out stepped Marty Deeks, looking much the same as he did from her memory. Messy mop of blonde hair, stubbled face, striking blue eyes. Although at times she thought about what it would be like to see him again, she never would have imagined it being this kind of situation. But despite that, for the first time all day, she could finally breathe easy. Relief flowed through her as she climbed out of her rental.

She had not taken more than a few steps when something caught her attention. The black Lincoln. Deeks saw the dread in her face just a second before shots were fired. He reached behind him, pulling out his gun with one hand, opening the back door with the other. "Andrea, come on! I'll cover you!"

She dove into the back of the SUV. Deeks slammed the door and jumped back in his seat. "Go, Kensi! Go, go, go!"

Andrea kept her head down as she heard squealing tires and gun fire.

"Deeks, keep your eye out for them. I'm calling Sam and Callen for back up." The unfamiliar female voice was calm, stern, and focused.

A few minutes passed before Deeks spoke up. "I think we lost them."

"Boat shed?"

"Yeah, for now." He turned to the back seat. Andrea was still crouched down, not looking up at anything and she was trembling. He reached out and touched her shoulder. "Hi, I suppose it would be stupid to ask how you're doing or what you've been up to?"

Andrea lifted her head and looked him. "Are they gone?"

"I don't know, but where we're going, you'll be safe. I promise."

He turned to Kensi. "You don't have to be involved in this. You can drop us off and I'll have someone bring me my car."

"Are you kidding me, Deeks?"

"What? I just don't want you to think..."

"Stop it right there. What makes you think I'm going to let you do this by yourself?"

"Really, Kens? Using my own line against me?"

"It's a good line."

"You don't even know what this is about."

"That's stupid, for two reasons. One, neither do you. And two, why should that matter?"

He shook his head, realizing that it was pointless arguing with his partner (also that he was grateful for her loyalty). "Andrea Vanderlin. This is my partner, Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS. With her driving, you're only in slightly less danger than you were when you were being shot at."

Their eyes met in the rearview mirror. Kensi only knew this woman by name, but she wasn't sure if this was what she pictured. Her strawberry blonde hair was tousled and her hazel eyes were wide with fear.

Andrea was dumbstruck. All of this was happening so fast and she wasn't really processing what was going on. She believed him when he said she was safe, but she couldn't shake the feeling of terror from before. She tried to compose herself so she wouldn't be sick right there in the back seat.

"Hey..." He reached for her hand. "It's going to be okay. These guys who are after you, they're not going to get to you."

"Marty, I never meant for any of this happen. I was just trying to help him."

"Help who?"

"My husband. He's in trouble, Marty. And I have to help him."

* * *

By the time they arrived at the boat shed, Sam's Challenger was already there. Kensi walked in first, with Deeks and Andrea close behind. Despite all the time that had passed, she stayed close to him, their arms brushing against each other. She was holding on by a thread and his familiar presence was helping her to not completely lose her grip.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Callen.

"Um..." Kensi glanced back at Deeks. "I'm not really sure."

"Marty?" Andrea's voice wavered. "Is there a bathroom or something? I need a minute..."

"Yes, of course. I'll show you." Kensi placed a hand on her arm, gently guiding her to the next room.

"Hetty wants an explanation as to why Eric is placing a trace on this woman's phone. Who is she?"

"She... she was my fiancée."

"Oh..." Callen's eyes widen. "And what exactly is she involved with?"

"I'm not sure yet. She called me looking for help because someone had shot up her car while she was driving. We picked her up, same people fired on us, and now we're here."

Kensi joined the others. "She's going to need a minute. She's pretty shaken up."

"Maybe I should go check on her."

Before Deeks could do anything, Callen's phone rang and he put it on speaker. "Hetty, we're all here now."

"Good, Mr. Callen. Can you please tell me what is going on and why Mr. Beale is tracing a phone that has nothing to do with any of our cases?"

Deeks spoke up. "Hetty, a friend of mine from a long time ago is in trouble. I don't know what's happening yet but I know I need to help her."

"So you're using NCIS resources and man-power for something that sounds like a personal matter rather than something in our jurisdiction."

"Are you serious, Hetty? Since when does jurisdiction stop us from investigating something that might be personal? We've all done it. Including you."

Everyone's eyes widen and they gave each other sideways glances. Deeks just stood up to Hetty, practically yelling at her. Very few people (if any) have ever gotten away with that. What their operations manager lacked in physical stature, she more than made up for in her deadly influence, intelligence and skills. There was silence for several seconds, until they heard a sigh of resignation.

"Fine. Find out what trouble she's in and then report back to me. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Hetty."

"Don't make me regret this. Oh, and Mr. Deeks? I would hardly refer to someone who you were once betrothed to as simply  _a friend_." Then the line went dead.

"Seriously, how does she always do that?"

Until now, Sam had been silent. "Alright, what's our plan of attack?"

"Listen, you guys don't really have to be here..."

"Deeks," Sam interrupted. "Whoever these people are, they fired on federal agents. We need to figure out what's going on."

"Yeah, that, and I am unbelievably curious about this woman who at one time actually said she'd marry you." A sassy smirk spread across Callen's face.

"Wow. Thank you so much."

"Okay, okay..." Kensi attempted to bring everyone back to the problem at hand. "Deeks, we're all in this with you."

"Um... Marty?" They all turned to Andrea who had joined them in the main room. Her face was pale, but she looked a little steadier.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yes... and no... Maybe I should explain?"

"Yeah, but first, you should meet some people. You already know Kensi. These are Special Agents G Callen and Sam Hanna."

She nodded to both of them and then turned back to Deeks. "So, you're a federal agent now?"

"No, I'm still LAPD. I'm their liaison."

She reached into her bag and held out a flash drive. "I think this is why those people were after me."

"What's on it?"

"I don't know. My husband put it in a safe deposit box here about a week ago. I haven't heard from him since before that."

Callen took the drive from her. "We'll get Eric on this."

"Come on." Deeks held her arm. "You can sit down and tell us what you know."

He lead her into the room normally used for interegating suspects. It was surreal pulling the chair out for someone who had such a deep connection to his past. He sat on the opposite side of the table, Kensi right next to him.

Calm and collected, she took a deep breath, forcing down her raising panic. She told them everything from the past week, trying to include all the details she could remember. From the note in the book to discovering that he had added an item in her safe deposit box.

"I knew I had to come here and find out what he left there. He meant for me to find that flash drive. I'm convinced of it."

"Is there anything else that you can think of that we should know about? Even if it may seem insignificant now, it may end up being important."

Her gaze lowered and she rubbed her forehead. The weight of everything from the past week was hitting her all at once. Working under tremendous pressure was not foreign to her, but this was beyond anything she had ever encountered before. "I don't know..."

Deeks turned to Kensi and spoke quietly. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure. I'll be right outside." Kensi patted his shoulder before she left the room.

He moved his chair so they were on the same side of the table and sat facing her.

"I know this is hard. I know you've had a rough few days... if there is anything you remember, anything at all, it might help us. Even if it seems insignificant."

She was focusing all her energy on not dissolving into sobs of exhaustion and panic. She was afraid that if she so much as thought about anything relating to Julian that she would lose it.

"Hey, Anders... we'll do everything we can to help you. I promise."

She looked up at him, her eyes weary. The corners of her mouth started to turn up into a slight smile. It had been many years since she last heard that name, and it was just enough to momentarily distract her worried mind. "I used to love it when you called me that," she whispered. She took in a deep breath and pushed through the panic. "Um... Michael, Julian's boss. When I called to see if he had been at work, Michael insisted that Julian was in Chicago. But I now know he was in actually LA. I don't know if he knows more than he's letting on, but I thought it was strange and he seemed to be brushing me off."

"That's a dangerous thing to do, brush you off."

"I... I just couldn't let it go. I had to figure out where he was."

"You know, I think you missed your calling as a detective."

For the first time in days, a genuine smile spread across her face.

"What's his boss' full name? We'll look into him."

"Michael Fett. He works at RNB Securities in New York." She took another deep breath. "Marty... I need to find him. I know things aren't good between me and him right now." She spun her wedding ring on her finger. "But I need him to be okay."

This was something he couldn't promise. They had no idea where Julian was or who exactly they were dealing with. But the desperation in her voice led him to make a promise that he knew he might not be able to keep. But he had to... for her. "We'll find him. We have the best people in the world working on this. We'll find him."

She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Thank you."

There was a knock at the door. Deeks got up, opened it, and saw Kensi. "You two should see this."

When they all walked out into the main room, they saw Eric was on the screen.

"Tell us again what you found," instructed Callen.

"There is a heavily encrypted file on that flash drive. And also there was this video."

A window popped up with Julian's face and Andrea let out a little gasp. As soon as the video started, she could tell he was agitated and afraid.

"Andrea, I really hope you never have to watch this, but I had to do this, just in case. I found something that I don't think I was meant to find. I tried to draw attention to it, but I was told it was none of my concern. But I couldn't just let it go. Hopefully, you'll know what to do with this. I'm sorry for bringing you into this and hopefully it'll turn out to be nothing, but I needed someone I could trust and you're the only one who fits that description. And again, I'm sorry and thank you for everything." There was a sad smile on his face, then the video stopped and Eric came back into view.

"What..." Her stomach felt as though it was spinning in circles and her hands stared to shake. "What does that mean? What's in the other file?"

"I'm still working on that now. It's going to take some time to figure out the encryption."

"Thank you, Eric. Keep us updated."

"Sure thing." Then the screen went completely blank.

Deeks tried to make her focus. "Where did you say Julian worked?"

"Um... RNB Securities. It's an information security firm."

"And you said that his boss was kind of acting strange?"

"Yeah..."

"Maybe he found something at work. There's a lot of sensitive information he'd have access to."

"I don't know... I got a funny feeling about him... but you really think he might be behind Julian's disappearance?"

"Right now, we have to explore all the possibilities. We'll know more once Eric gets into that file."

Sam stepped up to them. "For now, we need to get you to a safe location. You can stay there until we have all this figured out and we know that you're not in danger anymore."

Deeks glanced at Kensi. "We can take her to the safe house."

"Are you sure that's alright? I really never meant to bring this whole mess to you. I just didn't know who else to call."

Deeks shook his head. "Don't even go there. You did the right thing. We're all more than happy to help."

"Before you go," Sam handed her a yellow legal pad and a pen. "Can you write down any information about your husband's boss and his firm that you think might help us?"

"Sure." She sat down at the table and began to write.

Kensi came up to Deeks and whispered in his ear. "Can I talk you for a second?"

He nodded and then touched Andrea's shoulder. "We'll be right back."

"Okay." She continued writing.

He followed Kensi outside. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, really. I was just thinking that maybe you should go by yourself to take her to the safe house."

"What..."

"I can catch a ride with Sam and Callen."

"You really don't have to do that."

"Deeks, come on."

"You're seriously going to let me drive your car? Without you there?"

"Listen. She's obviously shaken up. It's been a terrifying day and now she's putting her life in the hands of people who, for the most part, she barely knows. I think it would be good for her to be around someone familiar."

"Um... yeah, I guess so. Are you sure? I mean, about me going by myself?"

"Yes. And I think it would be good for you, too." Kensi knew what it was like to not have closure on something. If Deeks needed it here, she didn't want him to miss out on the opportunity.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're the best partner in the history of partners?"

Kensi shrugged. "Not nearly enough, I think."

"Does that mean I owe you?"

"We'll see."

Deeks smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And be careful, partner. I'd hate for anything to happen to my car."

"I love it when your concern for me is so obvious."

She patted him on the arm. "You shouldn't keep her waiting. I'll see you later, Deeks. Call me if you need anything."

"I will." He went back into the boat shed and found Andrea standing there by herself.

"Hey, are you all set?"

"I think so. I think I've given them all the information I have."

"Okay. Well, come with me and I'll take you to the safe house."

"What about your partner?"

"She's catching a ride with the other guys. It'll just be you and me."

"Okay..." She gave him a nervous smile.

"Hey, you're going to be safe."

She believed him and she allowed herself to believe that maybe everything would turn out okay.


	3. Chapter 3

The ride over to the safe house was mostly quiet and a little awkward. He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.

"So, here we are."

"You're sure this place is okay... I'll be okay here?" Andrea believed him when he said she was safe, but her mind was having trouble letting go of the panic from earlier.

"Yes, absolutely. You have my word." Seeing apprehension still on her face, he turned around and pointed behind them. "See that car there, across the street? There are two agents in that car and they'll be there as long as you're here."

"Um... okay, but could you come inside with me? At least for a little while?"

"Of course."

As they walked up to the front door, he was struck with how strange this was. He couldn't help but think back to when they were engaged, the countless times they would enter their home together. Now, she was in trouble and her life was in danger and she was counting on him to keep her safe.

The safe house was simple and not very pleasing to the eye, but Andrea didn't care one bit. She was so grateful for this place. She was only half paying attention as Deeks showed her around.

"You'll find everything you might need here. Towels and stuff for taking a shower, extra clothes, some food. And there's a secure phone line, in case you need to reach anyone."

"I really can't thank you enough for this. If it wasn't for you..." The last thing she wanted to do was finish that sentence.

There was more awkwardness and more silence, until Deeks cleared his throat. "Well, this is kind of weird, isn't it?"

She smiled, appreciating the tension being broken. "All this time has gone by and here I am just bringing all kinds of chaos into your life."

"Hey, it's a part of the job... and you know I'd do anything for you. It doesn't matter how much time has gone by."

She sat down on the couch and rested her head in her hands. Deeks took a chair across from her and sat down.

"So... I was really surprised when I heard you had became a cop. And now this NCIS thing... that's new."

"Yeah, it was kind of unexpected, but it's been working out so far."

"I leave town for a decade and all of a sudden everything changes." She smiled.

"A decade? Has it really been that long?"

"Well, not quite that long. I haven't been here since... you know, the funeral."

"Oh... right..." He bit his lower lip and looked down at the floor. She saw a hint of grief that he still carried with him and she immediately regretting bringing it up.

"Um... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said anything..."

"No, it's okay. Like you said it's been awhile. And, um, I don't know if I ever thanked you for coming back for that. It really meant a lot to me."

"There's no way I would have missed it. I loved her so much."

"She loved you, too. I think she was more devastated when we broke up than I was."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There went her only chance to have a daughter-in-law who was going to give birth to many many grandchildren."

She smiled and shook her head. "Many many grandchildren?"

"Oh yes. She had it all planned out only to have all her hopes and dreams crushed. I'm pretty sure she thought you'd be the only woman in the world who could have put up with me. After you had enough of me and moved away, it was hopeless for me." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Her smile faded. "You know, you're always too hard on yourself. When I left... it had nothing to do with me having enough of you. It had nothing to do with... not loving you anymore."

This was a very old argument, one they had been through many times. And without even realizing it, they seemed to be at the start of one again. Few things frustrated her more than his tendency to cover up his insecurities with humor at his own expense. Especially when she knew he wasn't really kidding as often as he would like her to think.

He looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry. It's just, old habits, you know?"

"Don't be sorry, it's okay. I just wish it wasn't so easy for you to knock yourself down."

"Well, when other people are doing it all the time, sometimes it's easier to just beat them to it."

Andrea sighed. She was tired. She didn't want to spend her remaining energy rehashing issues from years ago. "You're a good man, Marty. And from what I see, you're good at what you do. Hell, someone was trying to kill me and I'm still alive and well, thanks to you."

His smile returned to his face. "Well, I had some help with that."

She was desperate for a change of subject. "So, how long have you been partnered with Kensi?"

"About two years now."

"You two seem very... comfortable with each other."

Deeks laughed. "You could say that. I've never had a partner for this long before. We depend on each other a lot and it's only natural that we would... get comfortable."

"Is there... you know... something more there?"

"More? No, no, no." His laugh was sounding nervous now. "What... um... what would make you think that?"

"Well, I heard you and Kensi bickering a little bit and it kind of reminded me of us. You know, we used to do that, so I just assumed..."

"No, we're close, but not that close."

She tried to stifle a laugh. "Okay, so how close then? Like, for example, does she know about your dancing days?" She barely got the question out, not able to hide her laughter.

"No, she doesn't know and she's not going to and I seriously regret ever telling you about that." He was kind of horrified that she remembered what he occasionally did to supplement the cost of his education.

"Really? I don't know why you wouldn't want people to know about that. Exotic dancing is a very reputable profession." She was delirious with laughter at this point. Exhaustion was catching up to her and this was just too funny.

"Wow. I'm so glad that you remember all this and that my past shame is still amusing you after all these years."

"Oh come on, Marty. You have to admit it's pretty funny. And you shouldn't be ashamed. In fact, I bet at least one of your costumes came in handy after you became a cop."

As embarrassing as this was, he couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. "Okay, now be honest. You've been holding onto that one since you found out I'd become a cop. Admit it. You've been waiting years to unleash that one on me."

She wiped tears from her eyes. "Maybe."

They both quieted down and Deeks smiled warmly at her. "It's really good to see you. And to hear you laugh."

"You always had that effect on me."

"Yeah, but it should be because of my charming personality and razor sharp wit. Not because you enjoy mocking me."

They spent a few more minutes catching up. Andrea was enjoying his company. In a way, it seemed like no time had passed. But it was getting harder to keep her eyes open.

"Marty, I think I'm fading. I should probably try to get some sleep."

"Of course."

They both stood up and walked to the door.

"Um... please don't hesitant to call if you need anything."

"I will. And again, thank you so much... for all of this. Especially for helping me with finding Julian."

"Hey..." He reached out and ran his hand up and down her arm. "We will do everything we can. I meant it when I said these people I work with, they're the best."

"And they got you, which makes them even better."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Good night, Anders."

"Good night, Marty."

* * *

Deeks pulled into a parking space and looked up at his apartment. His curtains were drawn but he could see that the lights were on inside. He shook his head and pulled out his phone, dialing Kensi's number.

"Hey, there." She answered. He could hear the TV in the background.

"I'd like to report a crime."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I think someone broke into my apartment. They're probably drinking all my beer and making a mess and filling my DVR with garbage. Oh, and spoiling my dog."

She chuckled. "Those don't all sound like actual crimes."

"Are you kidding me? It's probably already too late.  _Toddlers & Tiaras_ and  _I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant_  and  _The Real Housewives of God Knows Where_  are already infecting my TV screen as we speak."

"Shut up and get up here." She hung up on him.

When he got to his door, he didn't even bother to take out his key. He just opened the unlocked door. He saw his partner sitting on his couch with his dog, drinking his beer and watching his television. Monty didn't even pick up his head (probably because Kensi was scratching behind his ears).

"Some guard dog I have."

"He likes me. He can't help it."

He plopped down on the end of the couch, Monty refusing to move from his spot in the middle. "So, what did you do? Pick the lock?"

She just grinned at him.

"You know, this is a complete invasion of my personal space and privacy." He tried to sound annoyed, even though he really appreciated her being there.

"You think? At least I don't know all the passwords to your computer."

"Ha, okay, you got me there."

"You should be thanking me. Now I can get my car tonight and save you the trouble of having to pick me up in the morning."

"Yes, that's it. It's certainly not because you're a control freak who hates letting anyone else drive."

"Just relax and have a beer with me."

"You actually left one for me?"

She handed him an opened one from the coffee table and offered him a smile. "I just got this one. So... you okay?"

He took in a deep breath before answering her. "Yes... I think I'm okay."

She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she wasn't going to push right now. It's not what she would want in that situation. So she just smiled, hoping it communicated her support. "Well, good. And you made it just in time for  _Shaun of the Dead_."

"Isn't this my lucky day."

"Come on, you're going to love it. I promise."

"Okay, but if I don't, you have to do my laundry for a month."

"Fine. Whatever."

"And by laundry I mean underwear only."

"That's disgusting. Now shut up and watch the movie."

"You're always telling me to shut up."

"That's because you talk too much. Now, seriously, shut up." The gorgeous smile that spread across her face was just what he needed to see at the end of this day. As she hit play on the remote, he took a deep breath, thankful that she knew he needed this.

* * *

"Hey, Eric. You got anything?" Deeks and Kensi had brought Andrea to the boat shed the next morning to plan out what to do next. The first thing they did was call Ops.

"Well..." Eric rubbed his forehead. There were obvious dark circles under his eyes. "It took a long time, but I finally figured out that encryption. Whoever came up with it is pretty brilliant."

Andrea smiled. "You got that right."

"Anyway, he definitely stumbled on something huge. It turns out that an outside source has been hacking into the personal files of RNB's customers. Julian came across this and tried to bring it to his boss' attention, a man by the name of..."

"Michael Fett."

"Um... yes, exactly. Excellent name for a bounty hunter, am I right? I wonder if his middle name is Boba..."

"Eric, focus."

"Oh, yes, sorry. Anyway, according to Julian, Mr. Fett told him not to worry about it. This made him even more suspicious and so he started documenting all the evidence he could find. It turns out that this goes deeper than just the customers of this firm. There's evidence that RNB was trying to hack into government sites as well in order to obtain sensitive information. He then started worrying that Fett was onto him. Just in case he couldn't bring everything to the authorities himself, he put everything into this encrypted file, hoping to hide it out of reach."

"The safe deposit box."

"Yes. We were able to locate security footage from the bank showing Julian there."

"Show us."

A window popped up on the screen and Andrea recognized her husband right away. He was in the lobby, walking towards the door when he was approached by an unknown man. Then the two walked out of view.

"Damn," Deeks sighed. "We don't see his face."

"Yeah, he must have know where the cameras were."

"What day was this footage from?"

"Last Friday."

"That was the day after I last saw him."

"Well, thanks, Eric. Let us know if you find anything else."

Eric nodded and then the screen went blank.

"So..." Kensi folded her arms. "This Michael Fett guy is seeming more and more like our prime suspect."

"I can't believe it... I know he was acting kind of strange when I talked to him, but I never would have thought he'd be involved in something like this..." All the information given to them was slowly hitting her. "You don't think he had anything to do with Julian disappearance? I mean, he's a jerk, but stealing information from his customers? Kidnapping?" Her brain was racing. "Oh my god..."

"What is it?"

"I just remembered. I was going to tell you guys today... Last night Michael called and left a voicemail. I didn't notice the call or the message until this morning."

Deeks' brow furrowed. "What'd he say in the message?"

"Um... not much. He just asked if I could call him back."

Kensi and Deeks exchanged a look.

"So, should I call him back?"

"Absolutely." Kensi answered right away.

"Wait a second." Deeks held up his hands and turned to Andrea. "You don't have to do that. Let's think this through."

"Deeks, the evidence points to him. He called her and we don't know why. If she calls him back and acts like she doesn't know anything about all this..."

"No, there's got to be another way to find out how he's involved. She's been through enough..."

"You know, I'm still right here. You two don't need to be talking about me as if I'm not."

The two partners looked sheepishly at her.

"And in case you were wondering, I'm willing to do it. I'll call Michael."

"Are you sure about this?" His concern obvious on his face.

"It's the fastest way to find out what his game is in all of this." Andrea closed her eyes, took in a breath and let it out. When her eyes opened, the scared panic-stricken woman from yesterday was completely gone. She stood taller, with quiet confidence and absolute certainty. "Let's do this."

Deeks was taken aback for the change that came over her, yet he still couldn't help but worry. "Are you sure, because I don't want you to do anything you don't want..."

She gave him a piercing look and he stopped as soon as he saw the fire in her eyes. Here was the woman he remembered. The one who never let anyone stand in her way. He smiled, knowing for sure that this was a challenge she was up for. "Okay. Put your phone on speaker when you call. And try to offer him as little information as possible."

She pulled out her phone and dialed. Michael answered after a few rings. "Andrea, thanks for calling me back."

"Not a problem. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was just hoping that you weren't worrying about Julian anymore. He's just about finished in Chicago and should be back in a few days."

"That's really nice of you. Thank you for letting me know that Julian is in... Chicago, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Well, you know what? I was thinking... I have a couple personal days saved up and I just love the Windy City. What hotel is he staying in? Maybe I'll hop on a plane and go visit him."

"Um, I don't think you want to do that. He's very busy..."

"Oh, I can find things to do on my own while he's working. It'll be nice to see him, though. Now, where did you say he was staying?"

"I didn't..." He drifted off and then there was silence.

Andrea smiled, knowing she had control of this conversation. "Michael? Are you still there?"

"I know you're not in New York right now." He said quietly.

She looked up at Deeks and then to Kensi. They nodded back to her, giving her the go ahead.

"No, you're right. I'm not. But I'm not surprised that you knew that. And I'm willing to bet every penny I have that Julian is not really in Chicago."

"I never meant for it to get this far, Andrea. I swear to you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"At first what they wanted seemed harmless. Maybe a little illegal, but no one was getting hurt. And then they kept asking for more and more and I couldn't say no because I was already too involved. If they went down, then so did I."

"And Julian?"

"He just couldn't leave it alone. I told him to leave it alone and he wouldn't listen. It wasn't my call, I swear. I never would have hurt him..."

"Where is he, Michael?"

"I can't... I can't tell you that. I need to know exactly where you are and what you know."

"I'm done sharing information until you tell me what the hell you did to my husband."

"Um... He's in LA, too."

"So, you figured out where I am on your own. And these people who have him, were they the same people who spotted me? Are they friends of yours? They tried to kill me, you know."

Michael ignored her questions. "What did you take from that bank, Andrea? Why did you go straight there? Did he leave you something?"

"I don't know... Maybe I'd be more willing to answer these questions, if you hadn't tried to have me killed!"

Kensi started to fuss with the sleeve of her jacket. Andrea was making her very nervous with how bold she was being. If she wasn't careful with this conversation, they might be screwed as far as getting the information they needed. Deeks tried to give her a reassuring look, but she could tell he was nervous too.

"Who was that with you? Did you contact the authorities?"

"I'm sure you already know that I had been in LA for only a couple of hours before your friends decided to welcome me here. I've been here less than twenty-four hours. When would I have gone to the police?"

"I promise you, you and Julian will make it out of this as long as you don't go to the police and give back whatever it was that Julian took."

"And exactly how good is your promise? You've already sold out you customers and proven that you're okay with kidnapping and attempted murder."

"I told you, that wasn't my doing. It's them."

"Even more reason not to trust you. You're not even in control of this mess."

"Look, I can convince them to let Julian go and to leave you two alone. You just need to give back what you have."

"So they'll exchange my husband for whatever this is that you think I have?"

"It's the only way, Andrea."

"Fine. When and where?"

"I'll get you that information. I first need to talk with them."

"He better not be hurt, Michael. Whatever these people have over you... that's nothing compared to what I'll bring down on your head if anything happens to him."

There was silence for several seconds before he answered, in a much quieter tone. "I'll be in touch." And then the line went dead.

"Wow." Kensi breathed out. "She's good."

"Damn right, she is."

"Okay," Andrea breathed out and shook her head. "What do we do now?"

"We wait for him to contact you. It shouldn't be long. They're definitely desperate to find out what you know. And... um... Andrea?"

"Yeah?"

"I forgot how scary you can be."

She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't like that you're going in there like this. You know they're going to search you and take your weapon." Kensi frowned as Deeks put in his earwig.

"I know. I don't like it either, but I can't let her do this by herself."

Michael had called back and gave Andrea the location where the exchange would take place. Eric checked out the building once he was given the address. It was no surprise at all that there were almost no traffic cameras in the area. She was instructed to go there with the contents of the safe deposit box and she was to arrive alone. As much as she insisted that she could handle this on her own, she was actually relieved when Deeks put his foot down. Sending her in there alone was not something he was willing to let happen.

"I'm counting on them not being able to finding all our weapons. Maybe they'll be in too much of a hurry to check thoroughly. Or too stupid. Or both."

Her brow furrowed as she folder her arms. "I still don't like it."

"Well then, I'll just have to count on my partner to rescue me."

"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "I suppose it's my turn to save your ass."

"My ass is in your hands."

"You wish."

"Of course I do." A smirk appeared across his face. "And so do you. It's a great ass."

"I'm not so sure about that. I've seen better."

"So you admit you've studied my ass. That's interesting."

"Loser." She shook her head and smiled. "See you when this is over." The way she said this, he knew it wasn't a request.

Deeks smiled back. "Absolutely."

* * *

Andrea and Deeks walked up to the door of a seemingly abandoned office building. Agents were in place all around the block, just waiting to storm the building once they received the word.

"Hey," Deeks grabbed her hand. "You ready for this?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "Not even a little."

"I'll be right here with you. We'll get him back."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and shook her hands. "Okay. Here we go." She pushed the door open and they both walked inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, they saw two men in masks with guns pointed at them.

"Stop. Put your hands up."

They didn't need to be told twice. One stayed in place while the other patted them down. He quickly found Deeks' gun at the small of his back.

"Come with us. And keep your hands up."

They were lead down a hall way and into a spacious room. There they found Michael Fett... and tied to a chair in the middle of the room was Julian. He had been beaten severely and seemed to be unconscious. But he was definitely alive. It took every ounce of self-control Andrea had to stop herself from bursting into tears or running up to him. The relief she felt at seeing him alive was beyond what she could believe.

She took a deep breath to steady herself as she turned to Michael. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

"I'm here to make sure this is done right. You cooperate, and everyone walks away from this."

"You sure did a number on him already. Are you sure he can even walk?"

One of the masked men handed Deeks' gun to Michael. "You two stay by the door. Make sure no one else comes in." He turned towards Andrea and Deeks. "I thought I told you to come alone. Who's this guy?"

She nodded towards Deeks. "Him? He's my lawyer."

"A lawyer who carries a gun?"

"I think you underestimate how unpopular lawyers are." Deeks quipped.

Michael ignored him. "He looks like the same guy who picked you up the day you landed."

"Really?" Andrea looked dumbfounded. "You think so?"

"No, see, I get that a lot." Even being outgunned, he couldn't stop himself from babbling. "It's a common hair style. Styled by pillow is really popular right now. Really low maintenance, looks good for any occasion. I recommend you try it sometime. So, you see, it really could have been anyone..."

"Shut up."

"Okay. Shutting up..."

He took aim at Deeks. "I should call this whole thing off and kill all of you since you don't really know how to follow directions."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why is that?"

"Because, I took some steps to insure that we walk..." She glanced over at Julian. "Or hobble out of here alive and well."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Andrea went to reach in her handbag and Michael moved to point the gun at her. "Just wait a second. Relax." She reassured him as she pulled out the flash drive that was the source of this whole mess. "This is what Julian left for me in the bank. There's a file on here that doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm guessing by how badly you want it, that it must mean bad news for you if it gets out."

"What does that have to do with..."

"I wonder..." She interrupted. "What makes you think this is the only copy?"

Tension swept over his face as he gripped the gun tighter.

"You see, it would be to your benefit to make sure we all make it out of here. Because if we don't... I have an email scheduled to send and if I can't stop it, everyone at RNB will see what's on here. I'm sure they'll know exactly what it all means. Then they'll know what you've been up to. Unless I stop that message from being sent, you are completely done."

"This was not a part of the deal." His voice and his hand were trembling.

"I don't care. I just want my husband back and for you to leave us alone. Whatever scheme you have going on here, that's on your head. But I'm done with your games and your rules and with how you've dragged us into this mess you created. Now," She extended her hand. "Take this thing away from me and just let us go."

He was about to reach for the flash drive, but he hesitated. Then he pointed the gun at Julian. "I think you're bluffing. There's no copy. There's no email. And even if there was, how can I trust you to stop that email if I let you go. I think this ends right now."

Her calm exterior was starting to weaken. "Michael, wait..."

"If only you two just knew how to leave shit alone, you wouldn't have forced me to do this."

As Michael was ranting, he didn't notice Deeks reaching into Andrea's bag (which they forgot to check). He quickly pulled out the hidden gun and pointed it at Michael. "That's enough. Drop it." He heard Kensi's voice in his ear asking if it was time. He answered with a quiet  _oh yeah_.

Michael let out a humorless laugh. "Lawyer, huh?"

Deeks' heart was racing but he didn't let any of his emotions show. "It's over. We know everything. There's no way out of this for you. Don't make things worse for youself by adding murder to your list of charges."

Michael was flustered and scared, which made him dangerous. Deeks really needed his back up to get there and quickly before this all went completely to hell.

"If you try anything, I'll kill him. I swear I will!" His voice was escalating into screaming and his hand was shaking even more.

"Please let him go! Just... just don't hurt him." Andrea's cool demeanor was almost completely gone.

"Put the gun down." Deeks' calm yet forceful voice was about the only thing reassuring her right now. As frantic as she was becoming, she was also amazed at seeing him in this element. He was so far from the man she remembered, and yet it seemed like this was exactly what he was born to do. "We know you aren't the one behind all of this. If you help us catch the people who hired you, then we can go easy on you. You just need to put the gun down."

Michael took a deep breath. His face contorted with desperation, he turned towards Julian and placed his finger on the trigger.

"NO!"

At the same time as Andrea let out a scream, the door burst open and in filed a tactical team lead by Kensi. She immediately saw Michael. He was startled but still ready to fire. She acted on pure instinct. Shots were fired and he dropped to the ground.

She was immediately at her partner's side. "You two alright? Is there anyone else in the building?"

"We're fine. And besides Dumb and Dumber in the front? No, I don't think so."

"They're already in cuffs. We'll search the rest of the building just in case." She lifted her hand to her comms. "Eric, send an ambulance. Fett is down and it looks like Julian is badly hurt."

Andrea was already at her husband's side, trying to get his attention and free him from his restraints. "Jules, Jules, it's me. You're safe..." Her voice trailed off as Kensi and Deeks approached them. "Oh my god... Marty, there's a lot of blood... he's been shot!"

"Michael must have gotten one shot off before I got him." Kensi was back on her comms. "Eric, I need that ambulance right now."

Deeks checked his pulse. It was steady, but they needed help here and fast.

Andrea was finding it difficult to breath. "This can't be happening. Jules, stay with me. I've got you. I'm gonna bring you home..." The room started to spin...

Kensi noticed she was wavering and caught her by her arm before she toppled over. "You should have a seat. Take deep breaths. Help is on the way."

"No, I can't leave him. I can't... I have to help..." The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was the distance sound of sirens.

* * *

Deeks absentmindedly tapped the arm of his chair. He has been in hospitals many times in his life, as a patient and as the person waiting. He hated it no matter which position he was in. Now he and Kensi were waiting for updates on three different patients.

Kensi sighed and placed her hand over his, stilling his movement. "It's gonna be okay, you know that?"

"You're just saying that because I'm annoying you."

"No... I mean, yes you are annoying me, but I'm not just saying that. The doctors were very optimistic when we first got here. Just give them some time."

"I hate waiting."

"I know. Me too. But maybe we could try waiting while being quiet."

"I hate being quiet."

"This is not new information."

Before Deeks could respond, a doctor (who looked very familiar) approached them. "Are you the agents that brought in the three patients this afternoon?"

"Yes, I'm Detective Deeks and this is Agent Blye."

"I think we've met before. I'm Dr. DePaul."

"Absolutely, you stitched up a couple bullet holes in me last year."

She smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're not a patient this time around."

"Me too. So you have some news for us?"

"Yes. Mr. Fett is out of surgery. He should make a full recovery. Julian had multiple injuries and had been given a pretty big dose of sedatives before you found him. He has a concussion and several cracked ribs. The gunshot wound was to his right shoulder, thankfully nothing vital was hit. We want to keep him here, at least overnight before releasing him to travel home. He's conscious now and his wife is with him."

"Andrea? How is she?"

"She's fine. The stress of everything caused her to pass out. We checked her over and she seems fine now."

Deeks let out a breath. "Okay, thanks Dr. DePaul. That's all great to hear."

"One more thing. Julian was asking for you, Detective."

"Me?" This made him a little nervous.

"Yes, he asked if you were still around if you'd stop by and speak with him."

"Um... okay..." He glanced at Kensi. "I guess I could do that."

"Go on. I'll wait for you."

He nodded at her and then followed Dr. DePaul down the hall as she directed him to Julian's room. He ran his fingers through his hair before knocking on the open door and walking in. "Hello? Has everyone had enough excitement for today?"

Andrea was sitting on the bed next to Julian. The smile she gave him was full of relief and happiness. Julian was sitting up, his dark hair messy, bandages and stitches all over his face, his right arm in a sling. Yet he too looked more than content.

"So you must be the famous Marty Deeks."

"Famous, huh? Well, that's debatable. Maybe infamous."

"Famous, infamous, whatever. You saved my life and kept Andrea safe. That's all that matters to me."

"We were all happy to help." Deeks shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hey, you might be interested to know that Michael will be making a full recovery."

"Good." Julian winced as he adjust his position. "The bastard deserves to answer for everything he's done."

"Maybe if you're lucky, your company will give you his job when you get back to work."

Julian smiled, shaking his head. "We'll see. Right now I'd just like to focus on getting home as soon as possible. But I definitely didn't want to leave without thanking you and your team."

"Well, we wouldn't have found you without Andrea's help, so thank her as well."

Julian turned towards her and smiled. "I will."

"She really did good today. Maybe if she gets tired of being a boring lawyer, she could look into being a detective or federal agent."

"There you go again, talking about me like I'm not even in the room." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I'm just telling the man how amazing his wife is."

Julian reached for her hand. "Believe me, I already know."

Andrea looked down and gripped his hand tighter. Deeks was sensing that maybe it was time to make his exit. "Well, I'll leave you two be. Take care of yourself, Julian. And also... can you do me a favor?"

"Of course. I think I definitely owe you one."

"Don't make the same mistake I made. Don't let her go." On hearing these words, she looked up at Deeks and met his gaze, giving him a slight smile.

Julian didn't need anytime at all to think about this. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"I'll hold you to that." Deeks nodded to both of them before leaving the room.

He headed for the waiting room where he had left Kensi, but she was already waiting for him a little ways down the hall. Before they could say anything to each other, they heard Andrea calling for them.

"Marty, Kensi, wait." She caught up to them. "Just in case I don't see you before we head home, I wanted to say good bye and thank you for the millionth time."

"Well, you're welcome for the millionth time. It was really good seeing you again."

"Yeah, despite being shot at and my husband almost being killed, this was actually nice, right?"

Deeks smiled. "You call me if you ever need anything again. You hear me?"

She smiled and then wrapped her arms around him. He returned her embrace and held her close. So much ran through her mind. Gratitude, affection, nostalgia, sadness... Part of her would always love this man. Part of her still wished that things had been different all those years ago. But they were different people now, heading on different paths. She was no longer the same person who was in love with him all those years ago. But now more than ever before, she was grateful for knowing Marty Deeks and for being a part of his life.

She pulled away and turned to Kensi. "Thank you to you as well."

"You're welcome. It was really nice meeting you, despite the crazy circumstances."

"I'm really glad to know that Marty has a partner like you and a whole team to back him up and watch out for him."

"He does the same for us." Kensi grinned at him. "Especially for me."

"Well, you two keep taking care of each other."

"We will." They said at the same time, partners in sync.

After one last smile, she turned around and walked back into Julian's room.

Deeks kept staring ahead and sighed.

Kensi bumped her shoulder against his. "You alright, partner?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're not just saying that, are you? Because saying you're fine when you're not fine is kind of my thing."

"I don't know." He tore his eyes away from the door where Andrea disappeared and looked at Kensi. "It's funny... I hadn't seen her in so long and I almost never think about her anymore... but this just brought up a lot of stuff... you know what I mean?"

"I do. I am really glad I got to meet her."

"Yeah, me too."

"In fact, I think the two of us could become friends."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she has a lot of embarrassing stories about you that she'd like to share with me."

"Wow. That would be my nightmare."

"Maybe I should plan my next vacation and go to New York..."

"Why do you hate me? Seriously, why?"

Kensi smiled as she reached over and grabbed his arm. "Come on. Let's go get some food. It'll make you feel better."

"Food doesn't fix everything."

"Yes it does. You just have to find the right food."

"Okay, partner. Lead the way."

**~The End~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first attempt at a case fic. I wrote it because I purposely wanted to try something outside of my comfort zone, which is normally romantic Kensi/Deeks one-shots. It was scary and difficult and time consuming and I almost gave up a bunch of times along the way. Now that it's over, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who liked, reblogged, favorited, followed, gave kudos, and/or reviewed. You guys made this all worth while. And of course the biggest thank you in the world belongs to hermionesmydawg. Without her encouragement and input and nagging, I definitely would have deleted this whole thing and just stuck with them sitting on a couch talking about their feelings. Thank you thank you thank you :)


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